Sheet shifter for prong files



June 9, 1925.

1,541,426 A. J. LLOYD SHEET SHIFTER FOR PRONG FILES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 26 4 June 9, 1925.

A. J. LLOYD SHEET SHIFTER FOR PRQNG FILES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26 1924 June 9, 1925. 1,541,426

A. J. LLOYD SHEET SHIFTER FOR PRONG FILES Filed Dec. 26- 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 llll Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR J.

1,541,426 PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD, OF CHICAGO, ILLIN'OIS, ASSIGNOR TO ACCOUNTING DEVICES COM- PANY, 0Fv CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHEET SHIFTER FOR PRONG FILES.

Application filed December 26, 1924. Serial No. 758,165.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of ,Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet Shifters for Prong Files, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet shifters and the like and is particularly adapted to be used in connection with non-shifting prong files and the like.

This shifting device does not form a permanent part of the prong file but is insertable therein and removable therefrom while the prong file is open for the purpose of shifting sheets within the file as will hereinafter be described.

The invention is fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanylng drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial plan View of a prong file in closed or locked position but with the covers in open position for inspection of the contents of the file;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the prongs themselves in an open or unlocked position;

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but showing the file shifter inserted therein;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5 of Fig. 2; j

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5 but showing the sheet shifter in two positions within the file;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of one form of the sheet shifter; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view of another and preferred form of the device.

The prong file illustrated comprises two rear frame members 10 and. 11, which are hingedly secured together by means of pins 12 and which have oppositely projecting prongs 13 and 14 secured thereto. These prongs are arcuate and lie on a radius about the center of the pins 12 so that when a series of recording sheets A, B, C, D, E,

.etc., are placed upon one side of the prongs as 14 in Fig. 2, while the prong file is in the unlocked position, the prongs 13 will enter the holes 15 in the record sheets, the spacing of the prongs 13 and 14 both with res ect to themselves and each other being mu tiples of the spacing of the holes 15 in the record sheets.

When one of these record sheets as C, is to be moved, it is necessary in order to maintain'an equal spacing of the record sheets throughout, that all of the sheets on the line above B mustbe moved from the pin 14, moved up the width of one space and reinserted on the pins 14.

Heretoforethis has been done by means of a hand shifter whichwas held in the hand of the operator. This shifter has a series of prongs to which the record sheets were transferred, the desired sheet withdrawn or inserted as the case might be, after which the hand shifter was moved down so as to again bring the sheets in the desired order, each one being exposed at the top as indicated. With the hand shifter then held in the desired position with respect to the prongs 14, the sheets then on the hand shifter were transferred back to the prongs 14.

The present invention replaces this awkward hand shifting device with one which is held in a fixed relation to the prongs 14. It comprises two members 16 and 17 hingedlysecured together by means of a hinge 18. The member 17 is adapted to be inserted within themember 10 and to be held by means of clamps 19 placed near the ends of the prong file. It will be noted that the hinge 18 is closely adjacent the hinge pins 16 so that the short prongs 20 carried by the member 16 will fall in substantially the same curved plane as the prongs 14.

The prongs 20 are carried by a bar 21 which is slidably mounted on the member 16 by means of rivets 22 passing through slots 23. These slots permit the bar 21 and prongs 20 to move the distance between two of the adjacent holes 15 of the record sheets.

The operation of the device is as follows. With the prong file open and the sheet shifter inserted as shown in Fig. 6, and

with the sheets in the unshifting position upon the prongs 14, the member 16 is rocked forward to the dotted line position when the sheet it is desired to remove as Well as all of the sheets about it are raised by hand until they are carried by the prongs 20 when the member 16 is rocked back to the full line position as in Fig. 6. The lower sheet'on the prongs 20 is then moved, the bar 21 pushed up as far as it will go upon the rivets 22, after which the member 16 is again rocked over in the dotted line position and the sheets, now in the shifting position, fed back on the prongs '14.

If it is desired to insert a sheet it will be understood that exactly the reverse of this operation is performed.

In Figs. 3 and 7 is shown a form of the sheet shifter wherein the prongs 20 are carried directly by the member 16, this member being hingedly secured to the member 15 by means of ahinge pin 18. In this case, however, the hinges 1,6 are cut away so as to provide a space 16 so that the member 16 is movable longitudinally a distance equal to the spacing of the holes 15 in the record sheets.

Having completed the sheet after the insertion or removal of a sheet, the sheet shifter may, be removed from the prong file thereby permitting it to be closed or locked in the usual Way.

While I have shown and described but two embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes therefore in the construction and arrangement 'may be made which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A file shifter adapted to be used in connection with a hinged non-shift prong file, said shifter comprising a member adapted to be removably held in fixed relation to one of the sets of prongs of said file while it is open, and a second member to which is attached a set of. prongs facing one of said sets of prongs of the file, said members being hingedly connected along an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the file.

2. A file shifter adapted to be used in connection with a hinged non-shift prong file, said shifter comprising a member adapted to be removably held in fixed relation to one of the sets of prongs of said file while it is 0 en, and a second member to which is attac ed a set of prongs facing one of said sets of prongs of the file, said members being hingedly connected along an axis substantially arallel to the axis of the file and closely ad acent thereto.

3. A file shifter adapted to be used in connection with :1 hinged non-shift prong file, said shifter comprising a member adapted to be removably held in fixed relation to one of the sets of'prongs of said file while it is open, and a second member to which is attached a set of prongs facin one of said sets of prongs of the file, sai

rated cards second member being slidable longitudinah 1y with -respect to the first mentioned member, said members being hingedly connected along an axis substantlally parallel to the axisof the file.

4. A file shifter adapted to be used in connection with a hinged non-shift prong file, said shifter comprising a member adapted to be removably held in fixed relation to one of the sets of prongs of said file while it is open, a second member to which is attached a set of prongs facing one of said sets of prongs of the file, the prongs of the second member being substantially in the same arcuate plane as the prongs carried by the file, said members being hingedly connected along an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the file.

5. A file shifter adapted to be used in connection with a hinged non-shift prong file, said shifter comprising a member adapted to be removably held in fixed relation to one of the sets of prongs of said file while it isopen, and a second member to which is attached a set of prongs facing one of said sets of prongs of the file, said second member being mounted to slide upon a third member which is hingedly connected to said first mentioned member.

6. A file shifter adapted to be used in connection with a hinged non-shift prong file, said shifter comprising a member adapted to be removably held in fixed relation to one of the sets of prongs of said file while. it is open, a second member to which is attached a set of prongs facing one of said sets of prongs of the file, and a third member hingedly connected'to the first mentioned member along an axis parallel to and adjacent the axis of the prong file, said second member being movable l'ongitudinally of the axis to provide a means for shifting one set of prongs with respect to the other.

7. A file shifter adapted to be used in connection with a hinged non-shift prong file, said shifter comprising a member adapted to be removably held in fixed relation to one of the sets-of prongs of said file while it is open, a member hingedly connected to the first mentioned member, and a set of prongs carried by and longitudinally movable with respect to the second mentioned member, the two sets of prongs in staggered relation so that perfocarried by one set of prongs may be transferred to the other set and said cards shifted by moving one set of prongs longitudinally.

ARTHUR J. LLOYD. 

